The College of New Rochelle Launches Search for 14th President

March 27, 2017

The College of New Rochelle has taken the first step in the search for the College’s next president with the formation of a 17-member Presidential Search Committee. The Committee will be chaired by Board of Trustees member Christine LaSala, an alumna and former chairperson of Willis North America, Inc.

“The installation of the 14th president of The College of New Rochelle will be one of the most determinative steps for our future,” said Gwen Adolph, chair of The College of New Rochelle Board of Trustees. “The team of individuals tasked with recommending that candidate to the Board of Trustees must possess a sound knowledge of CNR’s past, an informed understanding of our present, and an achievable vision of the future.”

The Presidential Search Committee includes students, alumnae/i, parents, faculty, staff, administrators, long-term supporters and trustees. Faculty representation is drawn from each of the College’s academic divisions. The Ursulines—the founding order of the College—and the Archdiocese of New York are also represented. According to Adolph, the skill set is expansive, from attorneys to corporate executives, clergy to healthcare professionals, educators to administrators.

The search is anticipated to take eight to ten months, culminating with the committee’s recommendation to the Board of Trustees in early 2018. This time frame is consistent with the duration of searches at many colleges and universities, according to LaSala. The new president is expected to assume office in July 2018.

Adolph said LaSala is a proven leader with the strong managerial skills required to chair the Presidential Search Committee. “We are confident we have identified the right committee and the right leader within our community,” she said. “Collectively, they reflect the wonderfully diverse perspectives of The College of New Rochelle.”

“I am honored to have been asked by the Board of Trustees to chair the Presidential Search Committee, and I am humbled by the importance of this responsibility,” LaSala said. “The integrity of the process will be as critical as the candidate it secures. The search will be rigorous, deliberate, communal and transparent. It will be assisted by a reputable search firm with national reach. It will respect the devoted voices of students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumnae/i and trustees. It will honor the history and ideals of the College. And it will call upon our community to give the highest expectations, time, energy and wisdom.”

The Presidential Search Committee plans to listen and seek input from the College Community. “We come to this work with an abiding love for CNR and deep faith in its future,” LaSala noted. “Together, we will find the best person to be The College of New Rochelle's 14th president.”